Hugo Chávez, President of Venezuela

Hugo Chávez is the democratically elected president of Venezuela. He has taken on social changes within the country that’s good for the poor but not so good for the very wealthy or corporations. That’s brought him a lot of trouble and friction from those who aren’t to happy about that but love from the neglected.

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He also seems to relish repeatedly sticking a finger in President Bush’s eye. Those things have made him a liked figure among some who have similar sorts of interests. His comment in front of the UN, while insulting to everyone here since it was made on our soil, is no great surprise either, "Yesterday, the devil came to the UN, and today, it still smells of sulfur and Bush". What should be shocking to us are the giggling, laughter, and applause, not just in the UN but globally. Why is it so often, for so many leaders around the world, advantageous at home and around their regions to knock Bush (and America, because of the way they’re running it)?

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It pinpoints a bright shining light on how the president and his neoconservative administration are viewed around the world. Much more than half the Americans, while not seeing him as literally the ‘devil’, do see the immorality of the way he conducts much of our nations business overseas and at home.

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Sadly Chavez is not a human rights star. He has loaded the courts, which sounds a bit like our president. There’s also police violence, torture and limits on freedom of expression that I’m sure the Neocons would love to have here. I would imagine that the police violence and torture are ingrained from past practices of many leaders but there’s no excuse for not having firm controls to stop this behavior. I can understand being paranoid about the US military but it is not a justification for limits on free expression or treating human rights groups with disrespect or suspicion.

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The respected view from Greg Palast on Hugo Chavez;

I know there’s a lot of overt propaganda from conservative circles in this country but I trust the information from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. There’s no cause for war here but there’s lots of room for dialogue and international pressure to bring them into what appears to be a dwindling number of human rights loving nations. Sadly the same could also be said of us nowadays. Heightened rhetoric and bravado from both us and President Chavez is only increasing distrust and the odds of conflict and should cease. A preemptive strike by us would be unjust and immoral and would once again create many more problems except for the profiteers.
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Annual Report 2006 Venezuela
http://www.amnestyusa.org/annualreport.php?id=ar&yr=2006&c=VEN

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Human Rights Watch overview on Venezuela http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/01/18/venezu12258.htm

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I know were supposed to be thinking about attacking Iran and threatening another nation with nukes and I wouldn’t be surprised if we were foolish enough to bomb Iran (I hope were not foolish enough to do to Iran what we did to Iraq. I know there's some really bad guys running Iran but military strikes would just open another horrible can of worms. But once again we’ve got two rabid leaders who just love to throw word bombs at each other.

Are we going to do to Iran what we did to Iraq?
http://circuitousnoodle.blogspot.com/2007/01/are-we-going-to-do-to-iran-what-we-did.html

I wish the presidents of Iran and Venezuela would realize that that kind of talk, while maybe elevating their stature a little at home and around the world, only plays into the hands of the neoconservatives and their calls to violence) I know it’s just speculation on my part but I can’t shake the feeling that Venezuela is on our list.

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The Neocons have little love for President Hugo Chávez since they’ve already tried to rid the world of him and failed. Thanks to our horrendous foreign policy in the region President Hugo Chávez has been cozying up some to Cuba and Iran. They accuse him of harboring terrorists. Besides its’ oil fields it is strategically located next to Columbia at the southern opening to the Caribbean. I think they’ll see this as a doable military campaign that won’t stretch our resources too far while bolstering the presidents sagging poll numbers and improving the national outlook toward neoconservative agendas.
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You can hear them now! Banging their fists and waving the flag shouting about the eminent danger that can’t be tolerated in our back yard. They’ll even be able to scream about the communist menace again with its growing influence throughout Central and South America.
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It will once again spark the fear and ignorance driven jingoism of their base which half the country follows so sheepishly behind. Many of the rest will tag along once troops are committed because of a misguided belief in what supporting the troop’s means. Dissent will be less tolerated because the problems in Iraq will have been blamed on liberal voices publicly venting their displeasure with the imperial goals of this administration.
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I know this is just pure speculation and we seem to really have it in for Iran right now and the smart money is placed there.

We have a weakened, disliked and militaristic administration that worries me a great deal when they get backed into a corner like the one they currently find themselves.

We really need to impeach these guys!!!

Boom Boom - Rick Hall
http://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/videolinks/videolink_52.html

Another embarrassing moment for the US courtesy of 'W'

Shoe Thrown at Bush in Iraq


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Iraqis Pick Up Their Shoes: Reaction From Around the Country

The American public was first introduced to the concept of the bottom of the shoe being an insult during the staged toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue. I guess it's a way of saying you're lower than the dirt on the bottom of my shoe. I wonder if this incident will be occasionally adopted by our citizens towards politicians by showing the bottom of our footwear or will heckling and the one finger salute continue to dominate? Flinging a shoe would be considered assault especially if it involved a steel-toed work boot.

We should be angered and insulted at such a demeaning act being done to our president as an act of disrespect for America. But that's not what happened. This man's act of civil disobedience tickled everyone to the left of the conservative right. Not just here, but, across the world.

Remember when, Hugo Chávez, the democratically elected president of Venezuela made this comment in front of the UN, while insulting to everyone here since it was made on our soil, is no great surprise either, "Yesterday, the devil came to the UN, and today, it still smells of sulfur and Bush". Conservatives were outraged, but, what should have been shocking to us were the giggling, laughter, and applause, not just in the UN but globally.
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These two incidents along with the many protests everywhere he goes, at home and wold-wide, point a bright shining light on how the president and his neoconservative administration are viewed around the world. Much more than half the Americans, while not seeing him as literally the ‘devil’, do see the immorality of the way he conducts much of our nations business overseas and at home.

Why is it so often, for so many leaders around the world, advantageous at home and around their regions to knock Bush (and America, because of the way they’re running it)?

This is why I believe the large crowds Obama had in Europe and the huge turnout at his rallies at home would be comparable if Hillary, Richardson, or any of the other Dems won the nomination and election. The Bushies have led this country in such an appalling way that everyone embraces the hope that changes away from the Neoconservative method of running government (into the ground) will bring at home and around the world.

For his part at home Bush is trying to change regulations to fit the radical conservative agenda in such a way that will make it difficult for President Obama to undo.

At the Last Minute, a Raft of Rules

Republicans aren't trying to help fix the economy at this time either. It seems as though they are trying to exacerbate every problem they've left for the nation in an attempt to make Obama look bad when he takes office. The right wing propaganda merchants on the radio, FOX and elsewhere will then badger him the whole way with fabrication and lies while the Senate Republicans filibuster (block) everything they don't like.

I read somewhere today that it might be time to use former Sen. Frist's nuclear option.

The Senate Republicans, forever loyal to all things Bush, are the fly in the ointment. They have blocked/filibustered every single thing that has come before the Senate that doesn't survive their inquisition. The, up or down vote crowd, has used this method of killing Senatorial business more than it's combined use through out it's history.

This maneuver goes something like this hypothetical example....

Let's say there is a bill that has swept through the House with broad bi-partisan approval such as, a needed improvement in prenatal and natal care through the WICK program.

Conservatives in the Senate, the Administration and those who influence them find objection to not only 'robbing the tax payer to help irresponsible women', but it became noticeable that the bill contained a provision for regulating the baby food industry in order to insure the high quality of their product, not only domestically but international sales as well.

Both sides jaw about the pros and cons of the bill when it finally comes time for someone to invoke cloture. Cloture means it's time to stop talking about the bill, set time for final debate then vote. It takes sixty votes to stop debate (cloture). The Republicans have more than enough votes, even with a few honorable defections, to block every vote in the Senate and they have used it without mercy or pity.

What's the nuclear option? It only takes a simple majority to change the rules of the Senate. They can easily change the number of votes needed to pass cloture. It hasn't been a popular thing to do, but, if the Senate Republicans are going to do nothing but block everthing Obama tries to do for the US it may be time to play that card.
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